Editorial

What were the most surprising, most disappointing and just plain best games of 2015 so far? The crew gathers to discuss those topics in this video edition of Progress Report. Topics include Monster Hunter, Toad Amiibo, Cities: Skylines, webinars, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M., RAPs and more! Watch to see our picks.

The end of the year is a great time to reflect, so we’ll be doing just that. From now until January, we’ll be sharing what we think, both individually and as a group, are the best that 2014 had to offer. If you do need something to pick up, rest assured: we’ll put you on the right path!

It’s Thanksgiving, and we’re taking this opportunity to share what each of us are thankful for in the world of games this year.

Graham Russell: Even in a year with so many great original releases, I find myself being most thankful for those who are working to give old gems a second chance on new platforms. Whether it’s North American debuts like Vib-Ribbon and The Mysterious Murasame Castle, overlooked titles like Valkyria Chronicles and The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky or simply great oldies that are tough to find today like Mega Man Battle Network and Pokemon Trading Card Game GB, this is such a fruitful time for those who love old properties and want to experience them again. READ MORE

It may come as no surprise to anyone that we love being excited about games and this year’s E3 had plenty of those and then some. Here are the handful of titles we saw at the show that made us excited for this year and beyond.

One of the biggest headline Xbox One exclusives shown off by Microsoft this week was Sunset Overdrive. The main reasons the game has been getting attention are its bright color palette and energetic gameplay. Also, it’s being developed by Insomniac Games, whose work up until this point has been almost entirely exclusive to PlayStation platforms. That’s all well and good, but there was something about the teaser trailer shown at Microsoft’s briefing this year that struck me in a very unexpected way. Not anything specifically about the game, but instead a line spoken by its protagonist:

“Can you survive the many dangers? Can you help others survive? Can you save Sunset City? Can you? For the love of God, can you? Of course you can – it’s a f–– video game.” READ MORE

If we expect gaming to grow into its own as a medium to stand among literature, film and music in terms of cultural relevance, we can’t dismiss any work’s artistic merits. If we don’t take our medium seriously, then who will? To that end, I have a hypothesis that some would call downright mad: that Goat Simulator is the most important interactive experience of the year. No, I’m not kidding (no pun intended). READ MORE

Being too far ahead of its time is a common way for a product to fail, especially in the technology business. This is often the most tragic kind of failure, because it is not the result of apathy or cynicism, but just a great idea that the rest of the tech world couldn’t quite support yet. This was the undoing of Nokia’s N-Gage phone. It is a concept that we take as commonplace and even expected in today’s mobile space, but nevertheless garners a great deal of ridicule in retrospect: that a cell phone can run games as well as its handheld competitors. While much of that ridicule was valid due to some baffling hardware design decisions, the N-Gage was a capable handheld that deserves a second look. READ MORE

There’s a lot to look forward to in the coming year! Members of the Snackbar Games staff gathered to share which title each is most eagerly awaiting in 2014.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

I never played the original Witcher and didn’t get into The Witcher 2 until a year after it originally released, yet it quickly became one of the best RPGs I’ve played in quite some time. The Witcher 3 looks to continue the bold traditions from the first game, complete with exciting choices that completely alter the story and rewarding combat, but this time with a gigantic open-world to explore. Finally having the opportunity to traverse the endlessly impressive fantasy world of The Witcher is more than enough to make it a game I can’t wait to get my hands on. - Andrew Passafiume READ MORE

Ah, the holidays. It’s a great time to gather with friends and family, appreciate the things you have, eat good food and get some much-needed rest.

Oh, and play games! We like that part, too.

We’re not going anywhere. From now until January, we’ll be sharing what we think, both individually and as a group, are the best that 2013 had to offer. If you do need something to pick up, rest assured: we’ll put you on the right path! Also, in this holiday season of peace and joy, maybe check out these games with winter-themed levels? Or settle down at the table with a good unplugged title? Maybe even use our Amazon page to order some things, and give us the gift of being able to pay our hosting bills.